I was born and raised in Pakistan to a Muslim family so I practice Islam and a strong believer of my religion. I grew up almost half of life living in Pakistan. Just seven years ago my family migrated to United States to achieve the American dream. Coming to the states and adapting to the new world was definitely challenging for my family and I. Not to mention the cultural shock we went through along with the language barrier. Even though as time has passed and we have adapted to this new culture my father makes sure that his children have close ties to the Pakistani culture and the traditions.
Let me first start off with the good elements of my culture which I believe is beneficial to my health. Let me start with what we eat. In my
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The diet plan we follow is full of fiber, proteins, healthy carbohydrates and full of energy. Also, we use spices like turmeric, cardamom, coriander, ginger powder, cumin to flavor up food. These spices not only add flavor to our food but also act as barrier to illnesses. For example, turmeric is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. My mom has always given us milk with a pinch of turmeric in it because she says it makes bones stronger and heals your body. I had always doubted her but few years ago I did my research and it came out turmeric is really good health.
There are many factors and elements in my culture which are bad for our health and we just simply ignore them. For example, even though our food is healthy but they are way too much oily. Whenever my mom cook curry, any vegetable I tell her jokingly oh! look that okra is swimming in oil. And she replies food does not taste good without that much oil. Secondly, In Pakistan, the consumption of sugar is very high. For example, after each meal there is something sweet served such as mithai, which is dipped in sugar syrup. Without a sweet dish our meal is not complete. Also, we would rather drink sherbet, which is a sweetened fruit juice instead of water. Neither, do we have a culture for working out. After coming to America we have adapted the American way for instance, we now use vacuum cleaner to clean our house, a mop to
Health is very important, it give you the opportunity of have a good quality of life. A country with good health has happy citizens. However, some reports show us how Americans suffer poor health. The health of Americans is worse than the health of citizens in other wealthy countries even though the United States spends more on health care than any other country. Poor health is caused by the bad nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, stress, and busy life. At the same time, the USA is full of fast food restaurants. Also, they consume a lot of junk food, for example, they consume soda, fried food, and desserts. As a result, the American lifestyle contributes to being overweight. There are three reasons why Americans have poor health.
The importance of knowing your culture and where you come from can help you understand other people’s culture. This can also aid in improving how you work and what you can do. Being aware of what you are will also help prevent chaos between the patient and healthcare staffs. Being aware and mind sufficient will help one to open one’s eyes to see things in a different perspective such area where nutrition is at a high-risk. Researching the different cultural problems and identifying solutions will assist the writer to comprehend their way of life and lifestyles.
I grew up in Pakistan with a diverse culture around me. Before moving to the U.S., the city I grew up in was a blend of people who lived there because of their jobs, education and business purposes. I learned that poverty, marginalization and violence, neither had a religion nor selects people of a specific faith to attack them. This made me devote myself to the church and its programs to serve all children of God spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and fighting for social justice against the systemic evil in the world.
Apart from healthcare issue, the country has adopted the fast-moving life style, which has pushed most of our citizens to succumb to obesity as a result of fast foods. In fact, a recent report by the UN has ranked the United States as the most obese country in the world. Parramore (2012) outlines that, “Obesity is currently being considered as a national crisis in the United States and that it contributes 100,000 to 400,000 deaths per year. Statistics at the CDC and Prevention in 2010 indicate that 35.7% of the American adult is obese.” Many input trends exist in the American society, “First and foremost, people are highly used to fried foods, sugary drinks, and processed meats among others. There is also the sedentary lifestyle that has been adopted by many,” (Huffington Post, 2013). In fact, most of us love relaxing without exercise and too much television watching. These are some of the factors that contribute to obesity. The result is health complications problems such as diabetes, stroke, and heart disease just to mention but a few. These affect the longevity of life.
Culture is the thoughts, communications, actions, beliefs, values, and institutions racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups (Jarvis, 2012, p 14). Every culture has its own view/ understanding about health care, health and illnesses. Although what might be seen as acceptable in one culture, may not be acceptable in another, regardless of where you are health care and culture will always exist. My definition of culture is the way someone lives his or her life in a daily basis; which includes things like the language one speaks in and out of the home, food one eats, music one listens to, and one religious practice. The culture I will be
Growing up as a first generation Pakistani American Muslim not only came with the benefits of being exposed to different cultures, but it also came with a continuing challenge to incorporate the two cultures and my religion into the society we lived in. There was always a need to be more American, more Pakistani, while respecting the boundaries of religion. When we went to school, we weren’t American enough, when visiting Pakistan we were often labeled with the acronym ABCD- American Born Confused Desi. We were neither here, nor there. No matter how hard we tried to assimilate into the two societies, we could feel the absence of understanding and acceptance. This search for an identity not only allowed me to easily interact with people facing similar dilemmas, but it allowed me to embrace culture, religion, and people that were different.
As with other cultures, diet is a major factor that can cause any health issue. Culture is
Culture is a very important aspect for health care professionals to examine when interacting with their clients. By having an understanding of different cultural practices, a clinician can more effectively treat a patient. Kagawa-Singer, M. & Kassim-Lakha, S. (2003) theorizes that patients resist lifestyle changes, and culture forms lifestyle. Therefore, if physicians attend to the influence of culture on health behavior, outcomes of medical care might well be improved.
America is known for its advanced society and technology, but is also known to be one of the most obese populations. Found in “Down to Earth”, America is one of the most progressive countries to exist; therefore it should be the healthiest (“Obesity in America”). If America is so highly advanced, more advancement needs to be put towards obesity rates. As time goes on, adults and children are having to consequently expand their waistbands because of unhealthy habits. In an article previously discussed, Brown-well states that Americans are at an all-time low in exercising (Murray). By having less motivation to exercise, family health is at stake. Future generations need to be more pressured to keep physically fit for their health. With less motivation for a healthier lifestyle, communities across America will remain obese. According to CBS news, Americans prefer to consume Twinkies over Tofu (“The Blame Game”). With Americans not giving healthier options opportunity, less interest will be put into healthy options. Individuals are focusing on the pleasure of taste than their own well being. Internationally speaking, Americans have one of the strongest societies, but the weakest mindset for healthy living. With stubborn attitudes and continual unhealthy choices, obesity will not only stay but
culture. In my experience as Mexican American, realize my culture does not have a healthy diet.
Most cultural values in Haitian and Chinese communities are observed as a sense of pride, identity, and respect to their cultures vital. In some instances however it is key to take a step back and evaluate how the respective cultures influence their general well-being. As it is important for the people to have peace of mind, and mundane that they be of great health. Some cultural practices observed in the Chinese culture such as
Today in society there are many diverse culture and ethnic backgrounds, each with their own habits, traditions, preferences, and of these includes health. Different needs of the whole person should be evaluated in detail. This paper will discuss results from three different cultures through the interviewing of them using the Heritage Assessment Tool. It will also review, compare, and address health traditions between the cultures as well as identify common health traditions based on cultural heritage. The purpose is to evaluate and discuss how families subscribe to these traditions/practices, address health
Showing support and respect for cultural health beliefs creates a better interpersonal relationship between patient and physician. When implementing a wellness plan for the patient to follow the physician should take into consideration the beliefs of the patient. Health care providers should seek and obtain knowledge of their patient’s diverse cultures. Obtaining the knowledge of other cultures can be an valuable skill.
The United States has progressed from a rural, agricultural nation to an urbanized industrial one in just the last two centuries. Through this the transformation of the American lifestyles have changed drastically. Other countries focus on eating well, excercise, and taking enough time to eat and enjoying what they are eating. One lifestyle that many Americans have adapted to is the Western Diet, but today around the world the Western Diet is not viewed as the most nutritious or beneficial diet for humans. The nutritional patterns of high-fat and cholesterol, high protein, high sugar, and excessive salt intake, as well as the excessive consumption of processed fast foods has collectively defined the Western Diet. Even though this type of
The first family interviewed consists of a husband, wife, and two elementary aged daughters who came to the U.S. from Nigeria five years ago. The marriage was arranged between the husband’s father and siblings and the wife’s parents. Because of the great sense of community in this culture, the residents of the couple’s two villages also had to agree to the marriage. It was clear to this author that family and community relationships are highly valued in this family, and great emphasis is placed on valuing the opinions of, and deferring to elders. In Nigeria, health maintenance or protection is not highly considered, yet the residents of the villages generally have excellent health with very few incidents of the chronic diseases we face in the U.S. The reason for this relates to the physical activity involved in daily life, such as walking great distances, and manual labor working in the fields. Another reason for the health of the community is the diet they eat. Each family grows fresh vegetables and fruits. Beans are a primary source of protein, and meat is a special treat that is consumed only a few times per year. Processed or sugary foods are not a part of the diet. As a matter of fact the wife mentioned that soda pop is